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Bournemouth's remarkable manager commits until 2018

Eddie Howe today signed a contract extension to keep him at Bournemouth until the end of the 2017/18 season.

What Eddie Howe has achieved at Bournemouth is nothing short of remarkable. Now in his second spell in charge, Howe has committed his long-term future to the club.

The 36-year-old has described the roller coaster of his job at the championship club so far, he said : "You can’t predict the future and we will wait and see what happens, but it’s been a great ride so far. I’m looking forward now to a longer time here."

"There was no doubt in our minds that we wanted to stay because this is where we see our long term future."

Howe initially took charge as caretaker manager on the last day of 2008, when Bournemouth were sitting 23rd in League Two. The club had a 17 point deduction at the beginning of the season but if they hadn't, Howe could've guided them to a tenth place finish instead of 21st. The sheer feat of keeping them up in those circumstances was extraordinary.

The following season Bournemouth were under a transfer embargo. Despite this, Howe lead them to a second place finish and automatic promotion with the same squad as the previous season.

In the first month of 2011 Howe joined Burnley, leaving Bournemouth third in league one. He returned late in 2012, with the team in the relegation zone having won just one game in eleven. His return made an instant impact, the Cherries went on an unbeaten run of 18 games. Four months to the day of his return, Bournemouth sat top of League One and finished in second, one point behind the leaders. His second remarkable automatic promotion with the Cherries.

This lead the club to the second tier of English football for only the second time in their 115 year history. Howe's team now sit 11th, ten points off of the play-off's and have looked impressive all season with a good brand of football.

The team still have to play four of the team's above them in their nine remaining fixtures, and Howe will have instilled a belief in his side that means they will be fighting for everything they can get this season – be it a top-half finish or a play-off place.

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers was full of praise for Eddie Howe after the team's faced each other earlier this year in the FA Cup: "It is coaches like Eddie Howe who will take the game forward in this country because they believe in a way of working and they have a philosophy."

"Bournemouth are a very good side and I give credit to them first of all. Eddie is similar to myself in terms of the philosophy of football."

Leeds visit Bournemouth tonight and have the opportunity to leap-frog their opponents with a win, but if Bournemouth get a result and others go their way, they'll head in to the top-half and ever closer to a play-off spot.

Kameron Virk

Based in High Wycombe/London, Kameron is an aspiring football journalist and a massive Rams fan – despite being labelled a cockney by fellow fans. Other interests include politics, activism and creative writing.